京都府　和束町

Wazuka: A hidden valley where gentle light dances across endless terraces of green.
Here, the passage of time is quietly etched into the beautiful, rolling lines of the tea fields.

茶畑と水田が美しい陸の孤島「和束町」

妻の父が和束町で育ったので、たまに行く和束町。この町は陸の孤島と言われているけど、山の斜面を這うように広がる美しい茶畑です。
なだらかな山の起伏に沿って、一糸乱れぬ畝（うね）が描く「薄い線」の曲線美は、圧倒的なスケール感を持っています。

鎌倉時代に海住山寺（かいじゅうせんじ）の慈心上人が茶の栽培を勧めたのが始まりとされ、800年以上もの間、お茶と共に歩んできた歴史があります。今もなお、日本の宇治茶（煎茶）の主産地として、伝統的な景観と人の営みが色濃く残されており、効率性を追求する現代の街並みとは対極にある「人の手によって守られてきた美しい時間の厚み」を肌で感じることができます。

Wazuka: An Landlocked Island of Beautiful Tea Fields and Rice Paddies

My wife’s father grew up in Wazuka, so we visit the town from time to time. Although it is often called a “landlocked island” due to its secluded location, it welcomes you with breathtaking tea fields that seem to crawl up the mountain slopes.

Following the gentle undulations of the mountains, the exquisite curves of the perfectly aligned ridges create “fine lines” of visual beauty with an overwhelming sense of scale.

The history here dates back to the Kamakura period, when Jishin Shonin of Kaijusen-ji Temple first encouraged the cultivation of tea. For over 800 years, this town has breathed and grown alongside its tea. Even today, as a primary producer of Japanese Uji tea (Sencha), the traditional landscapes and the everyday lives of the people remain deeply intertwined. Here, you can truly feel the “beautiful accumulation of time protected by human hands”—a striking contrast to modern cityscapes that pursue nothing but efficiency.

日本屈指の高級宇治茶の郷

視界を埋め尽くす「緑の幾何学美」。和束町はどこを見ても山の斜面に茶畑があり、普通の山肌とは違った美しさを感じることができます。
撮影は、新緑が最も美しく輝く5月（一番茶の茶摘みの時期）や、鮮やかな緑が広がる初夏がおすすめです。緑が美しすぎる町です。春・秋は特に景色がいいのか、サイクリングやツーリングをしてる人も目立ちます。

One of Japan’s Premier Regions for Luxury Uji Tea

A “geometric beauty of green” that completely fills your field of vision. No matter where you look in Wazuka, tea fields contour the mountain slopes, offering a unique beauty that sets them apart from ordinary hillsides.

For photography, I highly recommend visiting in May—when the fresh greenery sparkles at its most beautiful during the first tea harvest—or during the early summer when the vibrant greens spread far and wide. It is a town where the green is simply too beautiful for words. Perhaps because the scenery is particularly stunning in spring and autumn, you’ll notice many people out cycling and touring through the area.

「お茶の京都」を支える圧倒的なシェア

和束町は単に美しいだけでなく、実力も日本屈指です。実は、京都府内で生産される宇治茶の約4割（煎茶に限定すればなんと大半）が、この和束町で作られています。
私たちが普段「宇治茶」として口にしている最高級の煎茶の多くは、この町の山の斜面で育まれたものです。まさに「宇治茶の故郷」と呼ぶにふさわしい場所です。

The Overwhelming Share that Sustains “Kyoto’s Tea Culture”

Wazuka is not just incredibly beautiful; it is also one of the top tea-producing regions in Japan. In fact, about 40% of the Uji tea produced within Kyoto Prefecture—and the vast majority when it comes strictly to Sencha (infused green tea)—is crafted right here in Wazuka.

Many of the finest high-grade Sencha teas we usually enjoy as “Uji tea” were actually nurtured on the mountain slopes of this very town. It truly deserves to be called the “Home of Uji Tea.”

自然が美しすぎる隠れた名村

電車が通ってないので、若干交通の便が悪いですが、訪れる価値のある町です。
一時期星野リゾートがホテルを建てるなど話がありましたが、実現しませんでしたね。（まだ話は続いている？）
どんどん人が少なくなる町なのかもしれませんが、なんとか残ってほしいと願うばかりです。

A Hidden Gem of a Village Where Nature is Simply Too Beautiful

Since there are no train stations here, the access is a bit inconvenient, but it is a town absolutely worth visiting. At one point, there were rumors about Hoshino Resorts building a hotel here, though it never ended up happening. (I wonder if the discussions are still secretly ongoing?)

It might be a town where the population continues to dwindle, but I can only hope from the bottom of my heart that this beautiful place will manage to survive and remain for generations to come.

京都府　和束町

京都の南端にある和束（わづか）町は、「お茶の京都」を象徴する、日本屈指の高級宇治茶の郷です。
カメラを愛する人や、美しい風景を探求（EXPLORE）する人にとって、ここはまさに「五感で光と線を切り取る場所」と言えます。

Wazuka Town, Kyoto Prefecture

Located at the southern edge of Kyoto, Wazuka Town is a premier region for luxury Uji tea, symbolizing the very essence of “Kyoto’s tea culture.” For those who love cameras and long to explore beautiful landscapes, this place is truly where you capture light and lines with all five senses.